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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1391" data-attributes="member: 143">Part 12The Wood of Sharp Teeth stretched for over a hundred miles southward from its beginnings just south of the River Chionthar, a dense old-wood forest appropriately named for the hazards that lurked within its depths.  Just a few miles from its northern edge, but well within the thick of the wood, rose a small knot of uneven hills.  The forest spread over this area unabated, with trees and bushes filling every slope and dip in the terrain.  In a region known for being inhospitable, the landscape here seemed particularly uninviting to the traveler.  And yet, nestled in at the edges of one of these hills, there was a clearing forced from the forest, and in that clearing stood a small fort.  The structure was neither as elaborate nor as permanent as the constructs of the lords of the Western Heartlands, but at the same time it was clearly built to withstand a considerable attack.  The massive trunks of the trees that had once stood nearby had been shaped into a stockade that rose a full twenty feet, while boles of smaller diameter had been used to form a hedge of sharp stakes that would keep any but the most determined beast from even reaching those walls.  Two covered watchtowers with shadowed interiors held alert eyes warding the dangers of the forest, while inside the stockade several crude but functional structures served the needs of the bold intruders who had challenged the reputation of the Wood of Sharp Teeth.  From within the stockade came a constant noise of activity, dominated by a regular pounding of metal against metal that indicated a working smithy.  But the most important activity going on within the fort was neither noisy nor obvious, but rather involved the meeting of two individuals in a shadowy room located within the bowels of the place.  And only one of them was actually at the fortress.  A powerfully built figure sat at a crude desk fashioned from heavy wood planks.  Even the half-darkness could not conceal the hard lines and ferocious features of an armored hobgoblin warrior.  He seemed a particularly imposing example of that martial race, but there was also a gleam of intelligence in his eyes, matched with a feral cunning that masked whatever dark emotions were hidden within.  “It was a foolish move, Zorak, to authorize that attack,” a soft voice whispered.  The words did not come from the hobgoblin, but rather materialized in the air around him, like the sweet siren’s song that drew sailors to their doom.  “We needed more slaves,” the hobgoblin said, his own deep voice a stark contrast to the faint whispers.  He accompanied them with a slight shrug, as if this matter were of no importance.  “You yourself suggested I gather them from the road.”The whispered voice kept its same soft tone and keel, but the agitation in the hidden speaker was clear nonetheless.  “But not within a day’s ride from Elturel, and certainly not on the outskirts of a populated village.  Your little band of mercenaries has caused quite a stir, I can tell you.  Were you possessed by madness, to allow such a provocation to occur?  And as if that proximity was not sufficient, they choose a caravan with a noblewoman passenger, and take her prisoner.”“That’s not uncommon for bandits, to take captives that they can ransom…”“What part of ‘keeping a low profile’ don’t you understand?” the voice interrupted.  “The goal is to avoid drawing attention to this operation.  Have you never heard of magic?  Don’t you think that her family will be interested in finding out where she is?”“Shall we kill her, then?” Zorak asked.  “No, the damage has already been done.  But you’d better ensure that you cover up your tracks thoroughly.  I assume that you have already arranged for Steel Jack and his men to take a long trip out of the region.”“They should already be on their way down the Sword Coast by now,” Zorak replied, “taking the long way, around the eastern side of the wood.  By the time Dhelt’s Hellriders track them to their camp, they’ll be long gone… and the weather will have taken care of any traces that lead this way.”“Don’t underestimate them, Zorak.  I don’t care if they eliminate Steel Jack’s little company, but they must not connect us to them.”   “Bak Morok has clear orders on that point.”“Good.  Because as important as this operation is, understand that I will have no qualms sacrificing it and you if necessary to protect my own position.”Zorak didn’t say anything, but it was clear that the message was understood.  The voice continued, “It is too great a risk to wait until the next shipment.  Send the woman immediately with whatever more you have accumulated—drugged and quiet, preferably, but undamaged—and I will see that she is properly disposed of.  Perhaps her death, if nothing else, can still be of use to me… ”Zorak nodded stoically in acknowledgement.  A long silence followed, and finally Zorak rose and headed for the room’s single door.  Before he reached it, however, the soft voice whispered one more time.  “Just one more thing, Zorak.”  “Don’t fail me again.”</blockquote>

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